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Jeanne Charters

Three generations of Irish American women seek better lives in Boston, in this historical saga of hope, hardship, and love by the author of Lace Curtain.

 Mary Boland suffered aboard a coffin ship to escape famine and make her way to America. Her daughter, Nellie, was born in South Boston—a beautiful girl, smart enough to graduate from college when few women, let alone women of her background, could. But her glowing future as a teacher is ruined when she becomes pregnant—and she is forced to cope on her own as the baby’s father disappears after returning to Ireland to fight for his nation’s liberation.

 Her subsequent rushed marriage to an ambitious politician will throw Nellie’s life far off course—and reverberate in her mother’s and daughter’s lives as well. Nothing will ever be the same in this gripping conclusion to the Daughters of Ireland saga—a tale of poverty and wealth, opportunity and danger, and family and forbidden love set against the tumultuous backdrop of the late nineteenth-century Gilded Age.

Praise for Shanty Gold, the first in the Daughters of Ireland trilogy

 “Charters interweaves many important topics—immigration, civil rights, women’s rights—into her exciting novel . . . An evocative portrait of South Boston . . . Gripping.” —Kirkus Reviews

 “The story of a young Irish girl’s struggles told with an authentic, historically accurate voice.” —Sallie Bissell, author of the Mary Crow series

 “A wild ride of discovery, romance, and the search for a new way of life . . . with twists and turns along the way.” —Susan Blexrud, author of the Fang series

Open Road Media

Daughters of Ireland

Silk Stocking

“Charters interweaves many important topics—immigration, civil rights, women’s rights—into her exciting novel . . . An evocative portrait of South Boston.” —Kirkus Reviews

 After the deaths of her mother and infant sister during Ireland’s Great Famine, thirteen-year-old Mary Boland makes her way to the Queenstown harbor and onto a coffin ship bound for America. But what happens during her transatlantic passage is enough to quash the strongest of dreams. After being assaulted by crewmembers, Mary thinks of ending her life—until a young Black slave named Kamua comes to her rescue . . .

 Forming a bond as strong as siblings, Mary and Kam reach Boston, determined to forge their own paths. No longer an innocent soul, Mary trusts no one, putting her faith in her own instincts. It is on the teeming streets of South Boston that she’ll find a new home and a new purpose as a midwife, helping poverty-stricken women survive their pregnancies. And it is in this city, full of possibility, where Mary’s heart will heal, and find the strength to survive the harsh choices she is forced to make, and grow into a woman true to herself . . .

 “The story of a young Irish girl’s struggles told with an authentic, historically accurate voice.” —Sallie Bissell, author of the Mary Crow series

 “To read Shanty Gold is to immerse oneself in a wild ride of discovery, romance, and the search for a new way of life. . . . A tale that will grab your heart and senses, with twists and turns along the way.” —Susan Blexrud, author of the Fang series

Shanty Gold

The daughter of Irish immigrants and the son of an African slave forge their own destiny in Boston, in this compelling sequel to Shanty Gold.

Boston, 1870. Nellie’s mom and Neo’s father met on a coffin ship sailing from Ireland to America, a journey they barely survived. Having heard this tale since childhood, the two teenagers now crave an adventure of their own. When an unfounded rumor gets Nellie suspended from school and puts her future in jeopardy, the lifelong friends flee to New York City to join a circus. And though their escapade is short-lived, it teaches both of them about courage, kindness, and acceptance.

 Rising above her scandalous background, Nellie inches toward her dream of becoming a teacher, while Neo battles against prejudice and hatred to marry the woman he loves. As they struggle with the hopes and expectations laid upon them by their parents, they’ll navigate through tragedy and betrayal on a journey towards their hearts’ true desires.

Praise for Shanty Gold

 “Charters interweaves many important topics—immigration, civil rights, women’s rights—into her exciting novel . . . Gripping.” —Kirkus Reviews

 “The story of a young Irish girl’s struggles told with an authentic, historically accurate voice.” —Sallie Bissell, author of the Mary Crow series

 “To read Shanty Gold is to immerse oneself in a wild ride of discovery, romance, and the search for a new way of life. . . . A tale that will grab your heart and senses, with twists and turns along the way.” —Susan Blexrud, author of the Fang series